Top 10 Zombie Games 2014

Zombie games seem to be everywhere, the market is saturated with the undead, but that hasn’t stopped us from wanting to play as a survivor in the zombie apocalypse has it? This year we are going to be treated to some amazing titles. With the DayZ Alpha now in full swing, we can expect to see the game go from strength to strength and will no doubt set the standard. Although one game here may not be strictly speaking, a zombie game, they will however revolve around a virus outbreak of some kind. Whether you want to smash in zombie skulls or want to experience the aftermath of the outbreak, then we have you covered in our Top 10 Zombie Games 2014.

A new year brings with it new games, but here is a list of the Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 which we believe you should be checking out this year, both new and old!

DayZ Standalone

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – DayZ

The DayZ mod really took the gaming world by storm when it released in 2012 which led to a standalone version being in full production. Originally set to release at the end of 2012, the Alpha was pushed back to allow the team to rework DayZ to make it the game they wanted rather than just an improvement on the mod.

Having launched on December 16, 2013, this year is set to be a huge one for DayZ. The alpha sold over 800,000 copies within the first few weeks of being available on Steam’s Early Access. The standalone features better zombie AI, more customization, more lootable buildings as well as various bug and glitch fixes, offering more stable gameplay. Although as Dean Hall states himself, you should only buy into the Alpha if you are happy to be a part of the development and are content with regular wipes, bugs and crashes. Features which are planned and will be added in 2014 include hunting and cooking, vehicles, more zombies along with base building.

Dead State

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Dead State

If you’re looking for a game which offers base-building and resource management in the zombie apocalypse, then you will love Dead State. The game received over double the funding it initially asked for on Kickstarter in just 30 days! Set to release at some point in 2014, Dead State is a turn-based RPG survival game. You are in charge of a group of survivors who are sheltering from the apocalypse. You have to fortify your shelter and protect it as well as scavenge in the world for the supplies needed to keep you and your group alive.

However the zombies are not your only threat, as you will also have to deal with other groups of survivors, form alliances and try to do what you can to stay alive. Characters have stats, skills and perks which can be upgraded to your advantage, as well as a complex morale system for your survivors which factors in success and failures.

This will be the first, truly strategic zombie game out there, and we can’t wait for it!

7 Days to Die

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – 7 Days to Die

7 Days to Die is an open-world sandbox, zombie survival, crafting game. The game takes place in 2034 Arizona, where nuclear attacks have decimated the Earth, and the remaining inhabitants have become infected, with an appetite for living flesh.

The game takes place in a fully destructible, voxel-based world as you try to scavenge for weapons, food and supplies. During the day, the zombies are calmer, allowing you to loot those crucial supplies and to fortify your building of choice, ready for the onslaught you can expect when the sun goes down, and the moon comes out. Having received over $500k in funding on Kickstarter, 7 Days to Die proved to be very popular with backers and is now available to purchase on Steam’s Early Access, or via their website at www.7daystodie.com

You can check out our Alpha Review of 7 Days to Die where we discuss more in-depth some of the features on offer.

Infestation: Survivor Stories

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Infestation: Survivor Stories

What can we say about Infestation: Survivor Stories? Some love it, some hate it. There’s no denying that we were misled when it was announced back in 2012, but if you’re looking for a multiplayer zombie game with excellent PvP, then Infestation is right up there.

Towards the end of 2013 Infestation saw a lot of updates. Colorado has since been replaced with a larger and improved Colorado V2, along with vehicles which are currently on test servers ready to go live on official servers soon. The new map, California is also in the works which you can also test while it gets worked on.

Infestation: Survivor Stories offers the typical survival formula. You have hunger and thirst which you must keep replenished, along with an improved medical system over what it had at launch, although still basic compared to that of the likes of DayZ. Hopefully the release of DayZ will help the developers improve the game. If you’re looking for a survival simulator, this is not it. However if you want to try to survive where the threat of hostile players is around every corner and are looking for some good PvP action, then you may find some fun in Infestation.

Dying Light

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Dying Light

Dying Light is a first-person survival horror game developed by Techland, the guys behind Dead Island. Set in an open-world urban environment, the game has players exploring the world as you scavenge for supplies and weapons to defend yourself against the infected population. Unlike the Dead Island franchise, Dying Light places a huge emphasis on free-running and parkour as you try to stay out of the clutches of the infected. The day/night cycle is of particularly importance. When the sun goes down, the infected become more aggressive and dangerous as they gain the ability to sprint, jump and climb walls as well as increased damage. You can’t hide at night so you must use your Night Sense to detect zombies to avoid them. During the day you can come across random survivors who you can choose to survive, set traps and claim airdrops. Although it may be overlooked by some who consider it Dead Island 3, we will have to wait and see what the outcome is, so far though it looks like it could be a well designed fast-paced, frantic survival horror game.

The Division

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – The Division

One game which really caught our attention at last years E3 was Tom Clancy’s The Division. While it doesn’t center around the undead, it does take place in the aftermath of a virus outbreak which has virtually destroyed the world. Described as an online third-person shooter, The Division is set in a post-apocalyptic New York City after this outbreak has occurred. You play as a member of the Strategic Homeland Division, aka The Division, as you do whatever it takes to save what remains of humanity and to combat the hostile groups which now lurk on the streets. Running on the Snowdrop engine, The Division looks visually stunning. Although originally planned to release on just Xbox One and PS4, the game will now also release on PC due to the communities vocal and passionate support to bring the game to the platform. The game is due to release Q4 2014.

State of Decay

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – State of Decay

State of Decay is an open world, zombie survival game and is available on Xbox Live Arcade and Steam. It’s the first game of its kind, allowing players to live out a zombie apocalypse as you try to survive as long as possible while also building up a community of survivors. There is a huge emphasis on meeting NPC Survivors and forming your own group. While more traditional zombie games put the focus on killing as many zeds as possible and making it through the level, State of Decay focuses on survival, base building and exploring the huge and beautiful open world. The choices that the player makes out in the world will have a positive or negative effect on the survivors and the world itself.

Since its launch Undead Labs have patched the game several times, allowing users to now remap their key bindings on PC, as well as having a fellow survivor now accompany you out in the world for example. On November 29 the first DLC for State of Decay was released, Breakdown. Breakdown adds to the game a sandbox mode, where you aren’t bugged by the campaign. You must repair an RV and decide when to advance on. It adds another way to change the game, and in my opinion is the preferred game mode over the campaign, which while still open-world, doesn’t offer you the same freedom as Breakdown. See our Breakdown Review for more details.

State of Decay is available on Xbox Live for £13.49 and on Steam for £14.99

Lifeless

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Lifeless

Lifeless is probably a game you haven’t heard of yet. However when we interviewed developers Rigid-Soft last year, we were left excited about the concept and we can’t wait to be able to get our hands on it! Lifeless is a multiplayer FPS zombie survival game where you must do whatever it takes to survive. Sound familiar? Of course it does! Except that Lifeless will put a huge emphasis on co-operating with other players. To survive, you’ll need to think on your toes and make intelligent decisions; decisions which affect not just you, but everyone around you, players and NPCs.

You can expect to be able to manage your hunger and thirst levels, as well as your body temperature. Each of your limbs can take damage, so it’s crucial to stay fit and healthy. Getting shot in the arm for example can decrease your accuracy, or getting shot in the leg will lower your speed. Lifeless will also feature fortifications, allowing you to fortify any abandoned building from the undead and players alike with supplies you have scavenged.

Lifeless will certainly be one to follow. Follow the progression of Lifeless via their website here.

Roam

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Roam

Roam is an open-world zombie survival game played from an Isometric view, challenging players to survive in an unforgiving, randomly generated world. A major feature of Roam is its base building, which will allow players to barricade and fortify various buildings, as well as crafting their own structures to form their own base.

Roam will also give players the freedom to truly survive how they wish, by allowing players complete customization of their characters outfits, as well as upgrading weapons which are found throughout the world. Crafting will also be vital to survival, giving players the opportunity to craft new clothing, backpacks and items to better help them deal with the situation at hand. One area in which Roam will try to make itself stand out from the crowd is pacing, with the developers telling us, “We really want to avoid tedious and mundane tasks that take away from the game’s immersion. An example: If a player needs wooden planks to build a barricade, we really dislike the idea of sending the player out into the woods to chop trees for 2 hours.”

Contagion

Top 10 Zombie Games 2014 – Contagion

Contagion is the first release from developers Monochrome, and is the spiritual successor to the hugely popular Half Life 2 mod, Zombie Panic: Source. Contagion is a co-operative survival horror FPS and is built on the latest Source Engine. Anyone familiar with Zombie Panic: Source will know that one of the most important factors is watching your ammo and making each shot count. Nothing has changed, with Contagion retaining that formula. Work together and use your ammo wisely, or face being overrun by the undead.

Currently there are three different maps and game modes to choose from, Hunted, Extraction and Escape. With more features and characters planned to release in 2014, Contagion is a very solid purchase indeed. Hours of fun can be had in Contagion.

I have always been an avid gamer and have combined my passion with my love for writing, hoping to be able to share my views and opinions to the world! So what better way than to start JumpToGamer? My favourite genres are RPG's and Strategy games, as well as Shooters and Sports games such as FIFA. I guess that covers most games then?! I play both consoles and PC, however PC is just edging it for me!

It was a close call I’m sure it will make it for the 2015 list tho haha

Julian Schwaighofer

The Division is definitely NOT a zombie game.

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nice games

lbytesxk

So, the gaming industry finally completely ran out of ideas.

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Contagion is my favorite!

Zoolu

State of Decay is, for now, the best ever Z Game i’ve ever played

Tigidoo

H1Z1 doesn’t make the list?

http://akk.li/pics/anne.jpg T_T

Contagion sucks. It is real buggy and feel like a Beta or at least “not ready” game.
Bought it on a Steam Sale for only 4,99 (euro) so not to big of a loss, but still, it sucks.

Alan Schrock

Infestation is definitely the worst choice that could be on here. Is the gameplay fun if you have a private server? sure. Is it fun in public servers. No. The creators of this game don’t care about stopping hackers or anything. They have a poor example of a protection client that bans people for no reason. They tend not to unban people who haven’t hacked because in their terms it says you can be banned for any reason or no reason at all. They also just ported over all their models from the devs’ old game War Inc. They have a much better version of this game already made. People who played it in Alpha know that. The fact that they would go out of their way to release a game in an earlier alpha state than what Alpha purchasers saw is horrendous. Its devs should be reviewed too when it comes to saying what Z Game is the best.